Kirk Preiser on Bridging OEM and Dealer Customer Experience

Amplify - A retail automotive podcast by Reuters Events and ASOTU

Kirk Preiser is the Director of Retail Buying Operations at Audi of America.

Key Takeaways:

1. Audi aims to bring more consistency to its brand experience, similar to Apple, but relies on partnerships with franchise dealers rather than opening its own stores.
2. The parallel purchase path allows customers to start their buying experience on Tier 1 (OEM website) or Tier 3 (dealer website), giving them flexibility in their journey.
3. Consistency in the look and feel of Audi's brand across both tiers is crucial, including colors, themes, and images.
4. In digital retailing, ensuring that actions taken on Tier 1 align with Tier 3 is challenging but essential for an omni-channel experience.
5. Price consistency is a critical factor in building trust with customers. Any discrepancies between Tier 1 and Tier 3 can lead to a loss of trust.
6. Technology plays a role in ingesting data from dealerships, including dealer rate markups, pricing, and fees. Keeping prices updated correctly is a priority.
7. Processes need to be established to ensure continuity for customers, so they don't have to start over when transitioning between tiers.
8. Response time is important, but a proper response that takes into account customer information and requirements is more crucial than quick replies.
9. OEMs can support dealerships by helping them build effective processes and sharing best practices to improve their overall performance.

During Automotive Retail USA 2023 in Las Vegas, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier interviewed dealers, OEM representatives, industry partners and more, looking to make the most innovative voices in retail automotive louder.

This is Amplify, the retail automotive podcast by Reuters Events and ASOTU.

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